Every entrepreneur gets the chills when they hear the word ‘returns’ or ‘free returns.’ A webshop comes into even more contact with this phenomenon. Why? Certain products are variable, which creates the possibility that a product may not meet expectations. Think of the color, length, size, etc. Thanks to webshops, consumers can shop from the comfort of their sofa, but they can’t touch the product, view it in real life, or try it on. To gain consumers’ trust, you must give them the option to return any wrong purchases. A good webshop has a return policy that creates a win-win situation for both the webshop and the consumer. However, returns processing costs a lot of time and money!
The Return Policy
It is legally determined that consumers can return goods within 14 days, with a few exceptions like food items. So, you need to develop a strong return policy! More than 60% of online orders are returned. Your customers want to know what to expect before placing an order. Develop a simple and smooth return policy so customers are more likely to order from your webshop. A simple and smooth return policy positively influences consumer buying behavior, leading to more trust, loyal customers, and repeat purchases!
It’s important to find out the reason for the return. This way, you can address the root of the problem and reduce the number of returns. To find these reasons, you need to analyze data! You can find more information about the return policy here.
Returns Processing is Crucial in the Return Policy
Smooth returns processing is crucial for the success of your webshop. The consumer will have little influence over this step, but for the business, it may be the most important step in the return process. The reason is simple. You will invest a lot of time and energy into returns processing. You need to unpack the product, assess whether it can be resold, register the return in the inventory management system, inform the customer, etc.
Let’s go over the steps in the returns processing:
- The return arrives at the warehouse
- Link the return to a sales order/invoice
- Take photos of the packaging
- Unpack the return
- Take photos of the opened packaging
- Inspect the product
- Take photos of the product
- Restock the product (if undamaged)
- Inform the customer
Why do you need to take photos? Some packages get damaged during transport. Of course, you are not responsible for this damage. You will want to claim this damage from the shipping company. However, the shipping company will ask for photos of the packaging, the opened package, and the damaged product. You can immediately see that a lot is involved in processing a return. In the above steps, we haven’t even considered communication about a damaged product. In short, going through all these steps requires some time, and time is money!
Can You Outsource the Returns Processing?
The answer to this question is simple: yes! Is the returns process taking up too much time, preventing you or your employees from focusing on expanding the webshop? Then it’s time to outsource the returns processing to a specialized institution. This way, returns will be handled efficiently and smoothly, ensuring you keep the customer satisfied and avoid unnecessary costs.
Returns Processing at Webship
Webship is a 360° fulfillment partner. We are not only responsible for managing our customers’ inventory or picking & packing sales orders. We also provide various other services such as product photography, first-line customer service, and product sealing. Returns processing is also one of our capabilities. We handle the returns process for various (foreign) webshops. The returns are registered in our online inventory management system, Webship Online. This allows you to continuously track whether new returns have been registered. We don’t just register the returns; we also inspect each return for damage and take photos of the entire return process. Any additional information and photos are included in Webship Online. Afterward, the returns can be bundled and sent to their final destination if necessary, or they can be picked up in bulk at our warehouse. Interested? Contact Webship via hallo@webship.be.
